I'm Making These!

I love having a place to put all the recipes I want to try and have tried and love. I'm pretty sure this will be one that I love, especially since I have homemade pepper jelly! :)

Brie Kisses

• 1/2 to 2/3 lbs Brie cheese (wedges are fine)
• 1 (17.3 oz) box frozen puff pastry
• Hot pepper jelly

Cut the brie into 1/2-inch squares (leave the rind on if you like). Place on a dinner plate and put the cheese in the freezer while you thaw the puff pastry for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Unfold the thawed pastry, press together seams and roll lightly with a rolling pin to smooth it out. Cut each sheet into fourths, then cut each fourth in half. Cut the halves in half to make 16 squares per sheet.

Lightly spray a mini-muffin pan with nonstick spray. Fit a piece of dough into each cup, pushing into the cup but leaving the edges sticking up. Place a dab of pepper jelly in each cup, then top with a piece of cheese.

Bake at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Serve warm. (Can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake, or you can bake them and re-warm about 10 minutes at 350°F before serving.)

Servings:

 

32 Notes:  I made then with Phyllo dough, trying to be tricky and they were a MESS! I twas much better with the Puff Pastry Dough!

Something for the Summer...

I want to make this this summer. I hope it's good guess I'll have to wait until our backyard is no longer a dirt mound before I find out! :) I'll also have to hide the fourth ingredient from the hubby who isn't such a fan of mustard (and many other things for that matter :P).

Chicken Fruit Packets

Just five ingredients combine on the grill for a super quick and easy main dish.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 firm pears, cored and sliced
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
• 1/2 cup honey mustard salad dressing
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

Cut chicken into 1" pieces. Heat coals on grill or prepare gas grill. Divide chicken, pears and apple among four 18x12 inch sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with garlic and thyme. Fold foil over chicken and fruit. Fold edges over 1/2" and repeat. (If you are preparing this in the morning, brush the pears and apple with a little lemon juice so they don't turn brown). Make sure you allow space on sides of the packet for circulation and expansion during cooking. Place packets on grill and cover.

Grill 4-5 inches from medium heat 10-15 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink when cut in center. Place packets on plates, cut large X across top, and fold back foil to serve. Serves 4

Chicken Pastina Soup

This is hands down every one of my kids' favorite soup (and we grown-up kids love it too)! I grew up eating a version of this whenever I was sick and so the tradition continues...

Picture is worse than ever since I had to use phone because the camera was dead!

1 Medium yellow onion chopped fine
2 Stalks celery chopped
2 Carrots chopped
1 Carrot grated/shredded
1-2 Chicken breast(s)
2-3 Cups Pastina (round bebe like pasta)
4 Quarts chicken broth (I use bullion paste and water to make mine)
Salt/Pepper to taste

Put 1 Tbls olive oil in large pot. Add chicken breast and cook until chicken is almost done (in a pinch I've been known to throw frozen breast in the pan and it works just fine). Add onion and celery and saute until translucent. Add chopped carrots (we have a lot of carrots in the soup because I LOVE carrots-don't use as many if you're not such a fan) and saute for about 3-4 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes. Add Pastina (or another small pasta noodle) and shredded carrots and cook over medium heat for about 12-15 minutes or until the pasta is tender. The Pastina soaks up A LOT of liquid and a little goes a long way (again, my kids love the pasta part so I add a bit more than I normally would), especially if you cook slowly and all the starches are released. I usually add a couple cups of broth at the end to increase the amount of liquid. Serve with warm bread OR yummy ham and cheese melts! Enjoy!

Notes:
When we were first married I would heat the leftover soup and add dumplings to the top. Delish! (This was when I had a lot more broth and not as much Pastina, oh well.)